1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a horizontal packing apparatus that has a body unit with a vertical table, and an arch unit. The table is provided on the vertical side of the body unit, for supporting an article to be packed. The arch unit incorporates a band way, straddles one side of the body unit and surrounds the vertical table. The invention also relates to a method of removing foreign matter from the band way provided in the horizontal packing apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Packing apparatuses are known each for packing an article by wrapping a band around the article and tying the ends of the band together. Generally, this type of a packing apparatus comprises a body unit, a reel unit, and an arch unit. The body unit has a table for supporting an article to be packed. The reel unit holds bands. The arch unit is shaped like an arch, straddling one side of the body unit and surrounding the vertical table of the body unit, and incorporates a band way along which a band is fed or guided. The body unit incorporates a sealing unit, which feeds a band, draws back the band, tightens the band and ties the ends of the band together. The band is released from the band way as it is drawn back. The band is then wrapped around the article, whereby the article is packed.
In a vertical packing apparatus, the horizontal table is aged on the upper surface of the body unit, and the arch unit straddles the body unit and surrounds the horizontal table. In a horizontal packing apparatus, the vertical table is provided at, for example, the left (vertical) side of the body unit, the arch unit straddles the left side of the body unit and surrounds the vertical table, and the body unit is not located right below the article to be packed.
The article to be packed may be vegetable, lawn or hay. While a packing apparatus is packing such an article, foreign matter (e.g., earth or hay splinters) fall from the article. The foreign matter is likely to fall into the body unit, particularly sealing unit, of the packing apparatus and to deposit therein. As indicated above, a horizontal packing apparatus has a table on the vertical side of the body unit, or receiving and supporting an article to be packed, and the body unit is not right below the article to be packed. Hence, when the horizontal packing apparatus packs an article, such as vegetable, lawn, hay, or the like, the foreign matter (e.g., hay splinters) broken off from the article can be prevented from entering the body unit and depositing therein Consequently, this maintains the desired efficiency of the horizontal packing apparatus.
In the horizontal packing apparatus, too, wherein the arch unit straddles one side of the body unit and surrounds the vertical table, a band is wrapped around an article at the position where the article is aligned with the arch unit, and foreign matter, e.g, hay splinters, may fall from the article (e.g., vegetable, lawn, or hay). The foreign matter fallen from the article may enter the arch unit and deposit therein, particularly on the upper surface of the lower section of the band way, which is incorporated in the arch unit.
The upper surface of the lower section of the band way serves to guide a band in the process of applying the band to pack an artcle. Foreign matter, if any deposited on the upper surface of the lower section of the band way, blocks the band being fed toward the article along the band way. This inevitably reduces the operating efficiency of the packing apparatus.
Usually, a flexible cover or the like is provided above the lower section of the band way and used as a dust cover. The flexible cover prevents foreign matter falling from the article to be packed, from entering the lower section of the band way. The flexible cover alone cannot completely prevent the foreign matter from entering the lower section of the band way or depositing therein This is because the foreign matter may fall through the space around the edges of the flexible cover. Generally, maintenance is performed, thereby removing the foreign is matter from the upper surface of the lower section of the band way.
To perform the maintenance for removing the foreign matter, the packing apparatus must be stopped. It is necessary to stop the packing apparatus rather frequently. This greatly decreases the operating efficiency of the packing apparatus.
Any packing apparatus incorporated in an automatic packing line must be detached from the line to receive the maintenance work for removing the foreign matter. The automatic packing line remain idle while the packing apparatus is being detached from the packing line, the foreign matter is being removed and the apparatus is being attached back to the packing line. This jeopardizes the operating efficiency of the automatic packing line. Moreover, intricate work is involved in detaching the packing apparatus from the automatic packing line and attaching the same back to the automatic packing line. Some measures must therefore be taken to avoid a decrease in the operating efficiency of the automatic packing line.
Japanese Utility Model Application KOKAI Publication No. 05-092104 discloses a packing apparatus that is not a horizontal one. In this apparatus, compressed air is applied to remove foreign matter from the band way. Relatively light matter, such as hay splinters, can be blown away from the band way. However, relatively heavy matter, such as earth and pebbles, cannot be reliably removed from the band way.
The first object of the present invention is to provide a horizontal packing apparatus in which foreign matter can be prevented from depositing on the band way and foreign matter, if deposited, can be removed from the band way. The second object of the invention is to provide a method of removing foreign matter from the band way of a horizontal packing apparatus.
To achieve the first object, a horizontal packing apparatus according to the invention is characterized in some respects. First, the lower part of the band way, which is incorporated in an arch unit, is separated from the other parts of the band way. Second, drive means supports the lower part, allowing the same to move between a substantially horizontal initial position and an inclined position. It is desired that the lower part of the band way be inclined downwards in its widthwise direction, not in its lengthwise direction (i.e., the direction in which a band is fed).
To achieve the second object of the invention, a method of removing foreign matter from a horizontal packing apparatus, according to the present invention, comprises the steps of: moving the lower part of the band way of the apparatus from an initial position that is substantially horizontal to an inclined position in which the lower part is inclined downwards, after a packing operation starts and a band is released from the band way; and moving the lower part of the band back to the initial position from the inclined position.